Badlapur accused encounter: HC slams govt for not filing FIR against cops

The Bombay High Court on Friday came down heavily on the Maharashtra government for not registering an FIR against five policemen over the custodial death of Akshay Shinde, accused in the Badlapur school sexual assault case, despite the court's explicit orders.

The HC had on April 7 said when a prima facie offence is disclosed, it is mandatory for the police to register a case.

The court had constituted a special investigation team under the supervision of Lakhmi Gautam, Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime. It had also directed the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which was probing Shinde's death in police custody, to hand over all case documents to Gautam within two days.

On Friday, a bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Neela Gokhale said it was appalled that its order was not complied with.

"This is a brazen violation of our order. How can the state government not follow the orders passed by the high court? Criminal contempt proceedings will have to be initiated if the case papers are not transferred today itself, the court said.

The court posted the matter for further hearing later this afternoon and said if the government does not take steps to comply with the April 7 order on Friday itself, it would consider initiating criminal contempt proceedings.

Shinde, accused of sexually assaulting two girls at a school in Badlapur in Thane district, was shot dead on September 23, 2024, when he was being taken by a police team to Kalyan from the Taloja prison. Police claimed that he opened fire on them, and was killed in retaliation.